How Made In found cost savings and network flexibility with Amazon Shipping

Made In is a premium cookware brand built on a simple but ambitious mission: bringing chef-quality tools to the home cook. From knives forged by fourth and fifth-generation artisans in France to plates crafted from clay in Stoke-on-Trent, every product is designed to meet the same standards found in Michelin-starred kitchens. Originally founded as a digitally native, e-commerce-first business, Made In maintains a sharp focus on operational excellence. The company operates three fulfillment centers in the US, with a growing international footprint, and prioritizes tight click-to-ship windows and reliable delivery for every order.

For a brand where average order values regularly reach $300-$800, the delivery experience carries real weight. Customers spending at that level expect reliability, not necessarily overnight speed, but a seamless process where shipping is invisible in its consistency. At the same time, Made In’s high cost of goods leaves limited room for inflated logistics spend. The operations team needed to find meaningful savings without compromising the dependable delivery their customers had come to expect.

Made In had been operating with a mix of national carriers, and while their existing carrier relationships were functional, the team saw an opportunity to diversify their network, take greater control of costs, and unlock operational flexibility, particularly around weekend fulfillment.

When the Amazon Shipping team first approached Made In, the potential savings stood out immediately.The biggest cost driver was the absence of additional residential delivery fees, a significant differentiator when the vast majority of Made In’s orders ship directly to customers’ homes. Base rates and fuel rates were on par with existing carriers, but the residential delivery savings consistently tipped rate shopping in Amazon Shipping’s favor.

“Knowing we have a seven-day pickup and delivery network gives us real flexibility,” said Kara Strasser, VP Supply Chain. “If we decide to open our sites on a Saturday or Sunday, we know packages are moving, and that’s a meaningful advantage during peak season.”

Beyond cost, the seven-day pickup and delivery network offered a strategic advantage. Made In could now fulfill and move packages on Saturdays and Sundays, shaving time off delivery windows during peak periods and giving the team more flexibility in how they managed warehouse operations throughout the week.

Made In integrated Amazon Shipping through their warehouse management system (WMS), and the technical setup, including API-based rate calls and label generation, was straightforward. The team has since consolidated onto a single WMS across their fulfillment network, and the Amazon Shipping integration runs smoothly as part of their daily operations.

Since onboarding Amazon Shipping, Made In has seen measurable improvements across their logistics cost structure:

• $2 to $3 per package reduction in shipping costs, driven primarily by the elimination of residential surcharges and transparent rate structures
• Weekend pickup and delivery capability, enabling same-day fulfillment and network movement seven days a week
• Simplified claims process with high acceptance rates and claim values adjusted to reflect Made In’s higher average cost of goods

The cost improvements came at a time when Made In was also expanding their fulfillment footprint to a third US site, and the combination of network optimization and transparent Amazon Shipping rates contributed to meaningful per-order savings across the business.

Made In’s experience illustrates what becomes possible when a premium brand treats its shipping network as a strategic lever rather than a fixed cost. By diversifying their carrier mix, the operations team unlocked savings that directly protect margins on high-value orders, while gaining the weekend fulfillment flexibility their customers increasingly expect. For brands where the delivery experience is inseparable from the product experience, the ability to reduce cost without compromising reliability is not a nice-to-have. It is a competitive requirement.

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